Nervous about Hair Transplant in Turkey

[soloo]

I am 30 yr old Asian male in USA with a hair loss, Norwood Scale 6; I have been pretty depressed due to my look to the point where I would not look at myself in the mirror (it's been awhile since my hair loss started when I was 20 years old).

I have been thinking about getting a hair transplant for awhile but I hear that it is best if you get a hair transplant in late 20s and early 30s when the hair loss is stable and here I am.

To hear me out, I am not poor but I am not rich either, so it is a huge investment that I am putting in myself to spend anything more than 1k. I have researched to find that Turkey is affordable compared to Hair Transplant clinic in USA, and has some of the best doctors but is also a Russian roulette except the few doctors (HLC, Dr. Pekiner, Dr. Keser, Dr. Yaman, and Dr. Bicer) that were mentioned on this forum.

I spoke with all of them except Dr. Yaman (due to scary result that I have seen) and Dr. Keser (too expensive), and I decided to go with Dr. Bicer because...

1. Dr. Pekiner's assistant, Alex, was rude. It was pretty clear that he or she did not look through the pictures I have sent thoroughly, and kept asking me to take the pics again.

2. HLC - I wasn't so comfortable with the fact that there are multiple doctors working on one patient.

3. Dr. Bicer - There were multiple options available, and one of the option was in between manual FUE and FUT which is motorized FUE. There was one patient per day policy, and one doctor does almost all the steps except putting in the follicles.

I am legitly scared by the fact that

• I am spending 8 - 9k USD in the first session and most likely, another 8 - 9k USD in the second session if my donor is not depleted.
• The surgery will not come out great.
• I am traveling to Turkey by myself.

I have been speaking with Ozen from Dr. Bicer's assistant, and I am still uncomfortable by the fact that they don't lay out all the details (not sure if this is a Turkey thing or not because I have seen this for all clinics). For example,

• They say that I have to pay 10% of the surgery cost to schedule, but what if I change my mind to re-schedule the appointment to a later date? Do I not get back the 10% payment that I make?
• VIP Package is 2 nights, but the entire procedure requires 4 nights. So am I supposed to book the hotels for the other 2 nights by myself?

I had to drill ask a lot of questions to get information like I will be using an app called Revolut to make the 10% payment. I feel like Ozen won't share the details until I commit to saying that I will schedule hair transplant surgery with Dr. Bicer.

Could someone please help me out here as in

• Provide some details & colors to the questions I had.
• Provide data as to why I should not be so nervous about the hair trasplant with Dr. Bicer as I am right now.
• Some additional colors to what I should expect (like where do I go to purchase my meals, and etc.) so I am COVID-19 safe, and won't catch any disease.

Edited June 26, 2021 by soloo

[Gatsby]

In answer to the name of your post I would be too! However you have narrowed your budget research down to the best of the lot. However their are no guarantees regardless of the surgeon so all you can do is to keep researching on surgeons recommended here who turn out a consistent body of good work on a regular basis. So in your case you would want to look at surgeons who do what I mentioned for people with Asian hair with a Norwood 6 loss. However if you are using this screening process based on a tight budget I can promise you (as can others) from personal experience that you are risking results so bad that you will end up paying more than if you had paid for what you needed from the very beginning. That's not just in dollars either but in the mental toll. I'm glad you are taking this serious because so many don't and end up here after the event traumatized. Keep asking all the questions you need to and keep researching. Wishing you all the best.

[deeznuts]

I can't answer all your questions as for the most part, it seems like the clinic should be answering those questions. I'd make sure communication is clear between you and the clinic because you dont want to have trouble communicating with the clinic if something goes wrong and you get necrosis (as an example) or something else happens.

Doctors recommended here I think have to stand by their results which means if it goes wrong, they fix it for you at the very least. As for the exact details of what the clinic will do if it goes wrong... That's something you need to talk to the clinic about.

Hair Transplants are a leap of faith and they're totally out of your control. You really just need to gather all the knowledge that you can, decide if you're comfortable with the Dr. and their body of work, and then pull the trigger. There will always be an unknown and you can't do anything about it.

For what it's worth 10k, 20k, that's a drop in the bucket for something life changing like a hair transplant. You can earn that back even with minimum wage in like a year or so. It's really nothing in the grand scheme of things

[Mike2098]

Dr Bicer is recommended on here and she does great work. That being said, there does seem to be a communication issue so I would clear things up before committing. I had to bring almost 6k for my procedure, so it is not out of the ordinary for Turkish clinics. 9k is a lot, but still cheaper than most clinics out there. If you think it is too much avoid getting a transplant until you feel financially secure.

That being said most clinics don't offer pickup/dropoffs and hotel stays so if you went to USA or Canada you would likely pay for everything yourself.

As for COVID if you are worried about catching it then get vaccinated first and plan your transplant around that.

[soloo]

I got vaccinated but still a bit worried about all these weird variants of COVID-19 that are being evolving outside the US.

[Britanium]

 All we can do is keep ourselves as safe as possible. Having the vaccine will help. And making sure the clinic we choose is being as covid safe as possible. 

[Britanium]

As regards to most of the other questions then i agree the clinic should respond. I believe they would ensure you have extra stay at the accommodation if your ht is over extra days.  

[deeznuts]

42 minutes ago, soloo said:

I got vaccinated but still a bit worried about all these weird variants of COVID-19 that are being evolving outside the US.

I mean, you're a (presumably) healthy 30 year old male... I wouldn't worry that much. That said, if you don't feel comfortable, you can always try to wait out COVID. 

[dtap]

17 hours ago, soloo said:

I got vaccinated but still a bit worried about all these weird variants of COVID-19 that are being evolving outside the US.

i know what you mean. so far theres like 4 variant i read about. i'd stay home and not travel until the smoke clears

[Zions]

Hey Soloo! This is my first time posting. I saw your post and I might be helpful to your situation. I'm also an Asian male in his 30s from the US. I got my procedure done with Dr. Bicer on June 22. I had a little over 2700 graphs to restore my front line.  I'm planning to start my own thread soon as to help people like you and to document my own hair journey.  If you have any questions feel free to ask! The pictures is 6 days post op. 

[Pablito]

On 6/27/2021 at 4:44 AM, Mike2098 said:

As for COVID if you are worried about catching it then get vaccinated first and plan your transplant around that.

Wise words. I wonder if covid impacts the healing process post transplant?

[SD1984]

On 6/27/2021 at 4:20 PM, dtap said:

i know what you mean. so far theres like 4 variant i read about. i'd stay home and not travel until the smoke clears

Living in fear is not a healthy thing. Being vaccinated is a virtual guarantee that you won't fall seriously ill even if you do happen to pick up Covid. All the evidence has proven that. Time to start moving on with our lives. Get vaccinated if you're not already.

[dtap]

2 hours ago, SD1984 said:

Living in fear is not a healthy thing. Being vaccinated is a virtual guarantee that you won't fall seriously ill even if you do happen to pick up Covid. All the evidence has proven that. Time to start moving on with our lives. Get vaccinated if you're not already.

This is true. But bear in mind that vaccines are not 100% effective, there are looming side effects like newly discovered heart inflammation not to mention emerging variants. Not saying not to get vaccinated but I want to ensure that youre not risking your life over hair. Better safe than sorry.

A friend of mine had encountered covid a month after getting the 2nd shot and he lived to tell the dark tale of how he almost lost his life. Something to think about. Stay safe.

Edited June 28, 2021 by dtap

[soloo]

Thanks everyone for your comments and/or rplies.

I decided to bite the bullet and see if I can schedule an appointment with Dr. Bicer, and I also checked that Dr. Bicer's clinic is COVID-19 aware meaning they are well sanitized.

If anyone who is making an appointment with Dr. Bicer wants to discuss with me, please feel free to message me!

[soloo]

6 hours ago, Zions said:

Hey Soloo! This is my first time posting. I saw your post and I might be helpful to your situation. I'm also an Asian male in his 30s from the US. I got my procedure done with Dr. Bicer on June 22. I had a little over 2700 graphs to restore my front line.  I'm planning to start my own thread soon as to help people like you and to document my own hair journey.  If you have any questions feel free to ask! The pictures is 6 days post op. 

That's a lot of grafts for the area of coverage that you have shared.

Mine is in a lot worse situation than yours and they said for the first session, I will be using 4000 grafts for the frontal area and second session for the crown if donor allows.

[dtap]

16 hours ago, soloo said:

Thanks everyone for your comments and/or rplies.

I decided to bite the bullet and see if I can schedule an appointment with Dr. Bicer, and I also checked that Dr. Bicer's clinic is COVID-19 aware meaning they are well sanitized.

If anyone who is making an appointment with Dr. Bicer wants to discuss with me, please feel free to message me!

Well if its any consolation, at least ensure that your 1st deposit to the clinic is guaranteed a refund if after a certain period of time you change your mind about getting a transplant. Many clinics offer that leverage. If yours doesnt I'd think twice before pumping money into such a clinic. Still, consider waiting before dipping your feet in corona waters. Stay safe.

[soloo]

20 hours ago, dtap said:

Well if its any consolation, at least ensure that your 1st deposit to the clinic is guaranteed a refund if after a certain period of time you change your mind about getting a transplant. Many clinics offer that leverage. If yours doesnt I'd think twice before pumping money into such a clinic. Still, consider waiting before dipping your feet in corona waters. Stay safe.

Thanks dtap. I will definitely raise the question if the offer details do not clarify. And I will put double layers of masks to be safe :).

[dtap]

4 hours ago, soloo said:

Thanks dtap. I will definitely raise the question if the offer details do not clarify. And I will put double layers of masks to be safe :).

Very good.

[Melvin- Admin]

On 6/28/2021 at 11:04 AM, Zions said:

Hey Soloo! This is my first time posting. I saw your post and I might be helpful to your situation. I'm also an Asian male in his 30s from the US. I got my procedure done with Dr. Bicer on June 22. I had a little over 2700 graphs to restore my front line.  I'm planning to start my own thread soon as to help people like you and to document my own hair journey.  If you have any questions feel free to ask! The pictures is 6 days post op. 

You chose wisely, Dr. Bicer is a great surgeon and person. Look forward to seeing your updates.

[Gatsby]

On 6/29/2021 at 9:56 AM, dtap said:

This is true. But bear in mind that vaccines are not 100% effective, there are looming side effects like newly discovered heart inflammation not to mention emerging variants. Not saying not to get vaccinated but I want to ensure that youre not risking your life over hair. Better safe than sorry.

A friend of mine had encountered covid a month after getting the 2nd shot and he lived to tell the dark tale of how he almost lost his life. Something to think about. Stay safe.

Imagine if he wasn't vaccinated? He wouldn't be hear to tell the dark tale. The vaccination is not a panacea. It is to reduce the chance of dying from covid and improving how bad the virus will impact upon you.

[Gatsby]

On 6/26/2021 at 4:02 PM, soloo said:

I am legitly scared by the fact that

• I am spending 8 - 9k USD in the first session and most likely, another 8 - 9k USD in the second session if my donor is not depleted.
• The surgery will not come out great.
• I am traveling to Turkey by myself.

I have been speaking with Ozen from Dr. Bicer's assistant, and I am still uncomfortable by the fact that they don't lay out all the details (not sure if this is a Turkey thing or not because I have seen this for all clinics). For example,

• They say that I have to pay 10% of the surgery cost to schedule, but what if I change my mind to re-schedule the appointment to a later date? Do I not get back the 10% payment that I make?
• VIP Package is 2 nights, but the entire procedure requires 4 nights. So am I supposed to book the hotels for the other 2 nights by myself?

I have to be honest. I don't believe that you are a good candidate for a hair transplant. At least not just at this point in time. Spend more time asking questions and researching. A hair transplant is more psychological than surgical in many ways. Some people have stellar results but are left feeling disappointed. Others can have what would be considered an unnatural result yet feel content with the results. All the best.

[soloo]

41 minutes ago, Gatsby said:

I have to be honest. I don't believe that you are a good candidate for a hair transplant. At least not just at this point in time. Spend more time asking questions and researching. A hair transplant is more psychological than surgical in many ways. Some people have stellar results but are left feeling disappointed. Others can have what would be considered an unnatural result yet feel content with the results. All the best.

Interestingly enough, I decided not to do hair transplant.

[dtap]

7 hours ago, Gatsby said:

Imagine if he wasn't vaccinated? He wouldn't be hear to tell the dark tale. The vaccination is not a panacea. It is to reduce the chance of dying from covid and improving how bad the virus will impact upon you.

Youre missing the point which is its to stay as safe as possible without risking your health by waiting until the virus rolls over. Then after the smoke clears do whatever your heart desires.

[Gatsby]

And that is why I stated that he is not a good candidate for a hair transplant at this point. The Corona virus will not just ‘roll over’ or be eliminated. It will mutate as has been shown. When enough people are vaccinated then it will reduce to the point of being like any other flu. 

[deeznuts]

5 hours ago, dtap said:

Youre missing the point which is its to stay as safe as possible without risking your health by waiting until the virus rolls over. Then after the smoke clears do whatever your heart desires.

He's already incredibly safe. He's a vaccinated (presumably) healthy 30 year old adult male. You couldn't be any safer unless maybe you were a vaccinated healthy mid 20's adult male.  The mortality rate for healthy 30 year old males is at most a hair above 0%. I have no doubt that you are more likely to die in a car crash than to die at COVID at age 30. As safe as possible is really not feasible and there is always a risk to doing anything including locking yourself up in your home with how depression/social isolation/mental health can have an impact on your body. You know car crashes/accidents are more likely to kill you in your teens/20's than anything else? Would you give up driving because of the risks with automobiles? It's OPs health and he's free to what he wants with his life but I really doubt there's much more you can do to be safe without severely compromising your quality of life.

Edited July 4, 2021 by deeznuts